Receipts scanner and financial organizer

Abstract

Expense information is obtained from receipts having various formats. Electronic image information of a receipt is processed to obtain expense information contained on the receipt. The expense information contained on the receipt can be categorized into one or more predetermined categories to obtain categorized information for the receipt. The categorized information for the receipt can be combined with categorized information of other receipts to produce reports for one or more of the predetermined categories.

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method of processing expense information, the method comprising:
 receiving electronic image information of a plurality of receipts having various formats, each of said receipts containing expense information printed thereon; 
 processing said electronic image information including numerical data obtained from each of the receipts to obtain said expense information from said electronic image information; 
 categorizing said expense information for each of the receipts into one or more predetermined categories to obtain categorized information for each of the receipts, 
 wherein said categorized information for each of the receipts is combined with categorized information for other said receipts to produce report information for one or more of said predetermined categories. 
 
     
     
       2. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the electronic image information is received via a USB port or a pass through parallel port. 
     
     
       3. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the electronic image information from the receipts is automatically received from a portable device, and the expense information for each of the receipts is captured from the electronic image information for each of the receipts and categorized into one or more of said predetermined categories. 
     
     
       4. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the portable device is a scanner. 
     
     
       5. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 outputting the report information to a display device for display in a tabular form, a pie-chart form, or as a text file. 
 
     
     
       6. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein formats of the report information may be output to be displayed in tabular form, such formats including income-expense, expenses versus planned budget, cash flow, or a list of all expenses grouped under said one or more predetermined categories. 
     
     
       7. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 enabling editing the expense information obtained from each of the receipts. 
 
     
     
       8. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 saving the expense information processed from the receipts in Quicken Interchange Format, thereby allowing the expense information obtained from the electronic image information to be imported by a financial management program. 
 
     
     
       9. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 organizing each of the receipts as an individual transaction so that the expense information obtained from the electronic image information for each of the receipts is able to be individually viewed and edited. 
 
     
     
       10. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
 outputting information to enable displaying tabular data on a display for comparison with pre-customized budgets or limits in each said one or more predetermined categories. 
 
     
     
       11. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein multiple items in the receipts are used to create a split transaction having the categorized information categorized into customizable categories. 
     
     
       12. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the electronic image information is information regarding the receipts that are optically scanned and converted to a corresponding digital image containing the expense information therein. 
     
     
       13. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 outputting the expense information in a user selected format which includes a tabular statement, a pie chart and a text file. 
 
     
     
       14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method of processing expense information, the method comprising:
 receiving an electronic image of a receipt, the receipt being of no predefined format and containing expense information printed thereon; 
 processing said electronic image to obtain said expense information from said electronic image; 
 categorizing said expense information for the receipt into one or more predetermined categories to obtain categorized information for the receipt, 
 wherein said categorized information for the receipt is combined with categorized information of other receipts to produce report information for one or more of said predetermined categories. 
 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises:
 outputting the report information to a display device for display in a tabular form, a pie-chart form, or as a text file. 
 
     
     
       16. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein formats of the report information may be output to be displayed in tabular form, such formats including income-expense, expenses versus planned budget, cash flow, or a list of all expenses grouped under said one or more predetermined categories. 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises:
 enabling editing the expense information obtained from the electronic image of the receipt. 
 
     
     
       18. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises:
 saving the expense information processed from the electronic image of the receipt in Quicken Interchange Format, thereby allowing the expense information obtained from the electronic image of the receipt to be imported by a financial management program. 
 
     
     
       19. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises:
 organizing the electronic image of the receipt as an individual transaction so that the expense information obtained from the electronic image of the receipt is able to be individually viewed and edited. 
 
     
     
       20. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises:
 outputting information to enable displaying tabular data on a display device for comparison with pre-customized budgets or limits in each of said one or more predetermined categories. 
 
     
     
       21. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein multiple items in the electronic image of the receipt are used to create a split transaction having the categorized information categorized into customizable categories. 
     
     
       22. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the electronic image is information obtained by optically scanning the receipt. 
     
     
       23. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises:
 outputting the expense information in a user selected format which includes a tabular statement, a pie chart and a text file. 
 
     
     
       24. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the electronic image of the receipt is obtained by a portable device. 
     
     
       25. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the portable device is a scanner. 
     
     
       26. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:
 receiving electronic information of a receipt having no predefined format; 
 processing the electronic information to obtain expense information contained on the receipt; 
 organizing the expense information in the form of a report; 
 outputting the expense information organized in the form of a report to a display. 
 
     
     
       27. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 26 , wherein the electronic information of the receipt is obtained by a portable device. 
     
     
       28. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 27 , wherein the portable device is a scanner. 
     
     
       29. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 27 , wherein the predefined categories are customizable by a user. 
     
     
       30. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 26 , wherein multiple items in the expense information of the report is categorized into predefined categories. 
     
     
       31. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 26 , wherein the processing of the electronic information to obtain expense information contained on the receipt includes searching the electronic information for numerical data related to one or more expenses. 
     
     
       32. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 31 , wherein the numerical data related to the one or more expenses is categorized into one or more predefined categories in the report.